SOME OF THE MOST SEAWORTHY VESSELS EVER BUILT WERE THE STALWART PILOT BOATS, SUCH AS LIVERPOOL PILOT CUTTER #2 SEEN IN THIS EARLY WORK BY SAMUEL WALTERS. KITTY WAS BUILT AT LIVERPOOL BY JOHN CORKHILL IN 1824, THE THIRD PILOT VESSEL TO BE SO NAMED. STRONGLY BUILT TO REMAIN OFFSHORE FOR MOST OF THEIR CAREERS, THESE HARD WORKING VESSELS WERE HEAVILY BALLASTED TO SAIL COMFORTABLY ON A FIXED WATERLINE IN ALL CONDITIONS.

WALTERS HAS PORTRAYED KITTY PLYING HER TRADE IN HEAVY SEAS OFF THE GREAT ORME HEAD IN NORTH WALES WHICH WAS A RENDEZVOUS FOR INBOUND LIVERPOOL VESSELS. OFF HER BOW, A BARK WEARS THE PILOT JACK AT HER FORMAST, WAITING FOR THE PILOT WHO WILL BOARD USING THE SMALL SKIFF SEEN OFF KITTY’S STERN AND GUIDE HER INTO THE HARBOR AND SAFETY.

THIS WORK IS A FINE EXAMPLE OF WALTERS’ EARLY NARRATIVE STYLE. THE POWERFUL ELEMENTS SEEN IN THE STYLIZED SEA AND THE MASTERFUL RENDERING OF THE CUTTER POSED DRAMATICALLY ON A FEATHERING WAVE CREST SERVE TO STRENGTHEN WALTERS’ REPUTATION AS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ARTISTS OF THE LIVERPOOL SCHOOL OF MARINE ART.